We are very excited to have a certified cyber security expert in our midst after Lower Sixth Former James Moffat gained his GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) Certification. This means that James is on the GIAC’s list of certified professionals and is now qualified, and could be called upon, to detect, respond, and resolve computer security incidents.
James is one of the youngest members to join the ranks of this select group of professionals, who have demonstrated expertise in security incidents by understanding common attack techniques. Part of the certification process involved a two-week course, during which James was required to work out complicated cyber problems and tackle mock cyber-attacks.
James started to take an interest in cyber security when he started on the government’s Cyber Discovery Programme in the Fourth Form, under the helm of Computer Science teacher, Dr Wallace.
Dr Wallace told us, “All computer science pupils at Bedford School are enrolled on the Cyber Discovery programme. There are four stages to the programme and at the end of each year, across the UK a small handful are advanced to the Elite stage, involving enrolment on a residential programme at a university. For two successive years, James has achieved Elite status on the programme and in recognition of this prestigious achievement, James was selected as a candidate for GIAC Certification. With hard work and determination he passed the exams. We are proud of our very first Cyber Security expert at Bedford School.”
James is currently studying Computer Science, Politics, RE and Classics at A-Level and is hoping to embark on a career in Penetration Testing, which involves the legal hacking into computer systems in order to identify weaknesses which can then be addressed.